The Sunday Junkie: Oct. 5 edition

The Sunday Junkie: Oct. 5 edition

With the future of EliteXC quite possibly in the balance, the MMA world turned its focus to Sunrise, Fla. No amount of pre-fight discussion could have prepared the MMA community for what would happen to “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” or “Kimbo Slice” — not to mention “The Silverback.”

The unpredictable conclusion to Saturday night’s “EliteXC: Heat” touched off a slew of opinions on the possible future of the organization.

But EliteXC wasn’t the only topic on our readers’ minds. The role of MMA referees, the state of women’s MMA and recently added bouts in the UFC were all points of contention in our latest installment of “The Sunday Junkie.”

Also, to learn how to submit to our next installment of “The Sunday Junkie,” scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions.

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A PLEA TO MMA REFEREES

From the time John McCarthy first shouted, “Let’s get it on,” it seems as if every referee in MMA has developed a catchphrase or signature move as if they are a marketable commodity. While referees in team sports pride themselves on not being noticed, MMA referees seem compelled to be seen. Herb Dean’s two-fingered quasi-salute and “Let’s do this” seem innocent enough, but the “notice me” mentality is contagious and leading to more and more nonsense. Troy Waugh is making pre-fight speeches, imploring Gina Carano and Kelly Kobold to “show the world what women’s MMA is all about,” while stumbling through a similar monologue prior to the Seth Petruzelli vs. Kimbo Slice bout. Referees of MMA: We tune in for the fights and the fighters. Tell them when to fight, when to stop, and enforce the rules. Other than that, stay out of their way — and out of their spotlight.

“Maulwalker”
Chris Kanewske
Cypress, Texas

ELITEXC A HUGE BUST

I don’t know if UFC President Dana White has a mole at CBS or EliteXC to bring it down from the inside, but it sure looks that way. Twenty minutes of talk before the first fight? On Spike they were on their third fight of the UFC 86 re-broadcast at that time. A “Benji Radach is like Anderson Silva” comparison (except for the accuracy part of course)? Arlovski fighting “Larry the Cable Guy,” and then to top it off, Kimbo Slice’s hand-selected, washed-up opponent removed from the card leading to a light-heavyweight knocking him down with an off-balance jab (all while the background shows EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw screaming at Kimbo to get up). Here’s hoping Affliction joins up with EliteXC and starts making more decisions.

“Tim”
Toronto, Canada

IS AFFLICTIONXC IN THE WORKS?

It’s time for EliteXC and Affliction to merge, especially now that Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has his first defeat. EliteXC’s cash cow is gone, but luckily for them they still have some great fighters like Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields, Gina Carano, and Eddie Alvarez — as well as some good up-and-comers. Mix them together with Affliction’s Andrei Arlovski, Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, and Josh Barnett — to name a few — and you have a good stable of fighters. Affliction is really just starting up, and after Saturday night’s main event EliteXC is surely headed for financial problems — if not bankruptcy. The two organizations already shared fighters on this card. Merging is the next step financially and commercially. Now that the Kimbo circus is over, it’s time to get serious. AfflictionXC anyone?

Michael Harmon
Davis, Calif.

ELITEXC DOESN’T HAVE TO GO BROKE

EliteXC has an exclusive deal with CBS, a major network. The UFC does not. EliteXC has a female roster. The UFC does not. If EliteXC and CBS could create a show similar to “The Ultimate Fighter,” but with female fighters, the benefits would be huge for both the sport and the organization. The show would also serve to remind everyone that women are great fighters and deserve to be showcased. I feel the show would create a whole new fan base. EliteXC could even use its male roster as coaches or guest coaches. Just a thought EliteXC. True MMA fans want you to stick around.

“Raycardi”
Huntington Beach, Calif.

WOMEN FIGHTS ARE EQUAL TO MEN

If women in MMA are ever to be considered equal to men, their fights need to be the same length. Three-minute rounds are a joke for professional MMA. Women go through the same hardships to fight as men. Women train just as hard and struggle to make weight the same way. But when the bell rings the women get just nine minutes to determine the better fighter, while the men get 15. I know that there are fewer female MMA fighters then men, but the ones that do fight deserve equal opportunity. In Saturday’s EliteXC event, Kelly Kobold took down Gina Carano at the end of the second round, but the round quickly ended. If Kobold had two more minutes to impose her will, Carano would have been in trouble. Promotions need to allow women to have the same opportunity to showcase their skills as men.

Kevin Grasl
Clinton Township, Mich.

UFC STEPPING IT UP WITH SOME STACKED CARDS IN NEAR FUTURE

Since the announcement of “UFC 91: Lesnar vs. Couture,” the MMA community has been extremely excited for the return of Randy Couture. But now that the end-of-year show is taking shape, and with the Super Bowl weekend show just announced, the superfights to come are really making fans happy. Since the end of PRIDE, everyone has been waiting for Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to make a huge impact on the light-heavyweight division. Injuries and a loss to Forrest Griffin have sidelined those expectations. But when 2009 comes, Rua will be back in action against UFC Hall-of-Famer Mark Coleman as just one of the many huge fights recently announced. It really is a good time to be a fan of MMA, and an even better time to be a fan of the UFC.

Ryan Meleedy
Middleboro, Mass.

RICH FRANKLIN VS. DAN HENDERSON — FINALLY!

WOW! I cant say that enough. I’ve been talking about this fight for so long. Franklin and Henderson are two of my favorite fighters in the UFC. The fact that it is taking place at 205 pounds is a little bit of a surprise. However it is still a fight that can definitely fulfill main-event status. When Franklin fought Travis Lutter, he looked gassed by the end of the bout. But when Franklin fought Matt Hammil, he looked great well into the third round. The light-heavyweight division is where Franklin needs to stay. As we all know Henderson can go fast and hard well into the fifth round. Henderson won’t be fighting Rousimar Palhares this time, he will be fighting one of the best strikers in the UFC today. Bring in the New Year already.

Ryan Meleedy
Middleboro, Mass.

MY REQUEST FOR FIVE MINUTES AND LESS WHITE TOWELS

I have two points that I would like to address today — both involving the women’s division in MMA. First, it is time to abolish the three minute rounds. Beyond being a nightmare for judges to score, the short frames also leave little time for a ground specialist to work their craft. Would Kelly Kobold have won if given more time on the ground? Probably not. But she should at least get to try. Secondly, as stoutly heterosexual as I am, was it really necessary for Gina Carano to strip naked in a packed room to make weight? Is there any reason why the procedures could not have happened behind the curtain? Let Kobold watch to ensure fairness, but don’t force an obviously uncomfortable Carano to disrobe to a room full of cat-calls and perverted jokes.

“Andy”
Dallas, Texas

NOBODY WAS GOING TO WATCH IT, BUT EVERYBODY IS TALKING

I would like to call out all the hypocrites who swore up and own that in no way would they ever watch EliteXC Saturday night — and then somehow were able to post regarding fights that they “did not see.” It seems all the rage to rip on EliteXC, Jared Shaw, Gary Shaw (who isn’t even involved anymore you knuckleheads), Affliction, and anybody else not named Dana or the UFC. I hope you UFC hardcores enjoyed watching UFC 86 again. Great fights that night — of course I’ve already seen them a few times. Instead, I enjoyed watching a night of entertaining fights for free. It might not shake up the world’s top 10, but it was a fun night to watch. The UFC can’t afford to contract evry available fighter. The quicker you understand that, the better off you’ll be.

“Kari”
Lexington, Ky.

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